Greens become first political party in England and Wales to recognise Israeli government conduct as ‘Apartheid’ and ‘Genocide’
The Green Party has voted at its Manchester conference to recognise the Israeli government as an “apartheid” state, as defined by international treaties such as the International Convention on Apartheid (1973) and Rome Statute (1998).
The conference also voted to recognise Israeli military operations in Gaza as a “genocide” as defined under the UN Genocide Convention (1948).
Ellie Chowns, Green Party MP for North Herefordshire, said: “We don’t use terms like genocide or apartheid lightly, but they are a sad reflection of the atrocities being carried out by the Israeli State.
“This motion reflects International Humanitarian Law, including the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and it is essential that British political parties unequivocally uphold these basic minimum standards of international law.”
The conference also reaffirmed support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
Ellie Chowns said: “We will only see an end to the escalating violence in the Middle East when there are clear incentives for all involved in the war in Gaza to agree to a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and an end to the occupation.
“We will press the UK government to step up its actions, including suspending all arms export licenses to Israel, and full co-operation with the actions of the international courts.
“Without an agreement, the intolerable death toll in Gaza will continue to rise, the hostages will be at greater risk and there will be an increased chance of sleepwalking into a larger regional war.”
Palestine supporters blockade entrance to arms factory in Kent
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/palestine-supporters-blockade-entrance-to-arms-factory-kent
AN ISRAELI arms factory in Kent was under siege today [yesterday] after Palestine supporters blockaded its entrance roads.
The Instro Precision factory is part of Israeli-owned Elbit Systems, which is believed to manufacture military drones, pilotless aircraft and other weapons for Israel.
Palestine Action mounted the blockade and vehicles were used to block the entrances.
Activists also covered the premises in red paint, symbolising “Palestinian bloodshed.”
Palestine Action said the factory’s products were not affected by last week’s government announcement that 50 [dizzy:30] out of 320 arms export licences were being suspended.
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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/palestine-supporters-blockade-entrance-to-arms-factory-kent
Iran Condemns Deadly Israeli Bombing of Syria as ‘Criminal Attack’
Original article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry called on Israel’s allies to “stop supporting and arming it.”
The Israeli military carried out a series of airstrikes on central Syria late Sunday, reportedly killing more than a dozen people and prompting a furious response from Syrian ally Iran.
“We strongly condemn this criminal attack,” Nasser Kanaani, a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said during a press conference in Tehran.
Kanaani went on to urge Israel’s weapons suppliers, chiefly the United States and Germany, to “stop supporting and arming it” as its catastrophic assault on the Gaza Strip spills out across the region. Nearly 40 people were wounded in Israel’s strikes on Sunday, according to a Syrian health official, and several are in critical condition.
Citing two unnamed regional intelligence sources, Reuters reported early Monday that the Israeli strikes hit a “major military research center for chemical arms production located near Misyaf.”
The facility, according to Reuters, “is believed to house a team of Iranian military experts involved in weapons production.”
Kanaani denied that the facility hit was connected to Iran.
“What official sources from the Syrian government have announced is that there were attacks on some Syrian facilities, including an attack on a research center affiliated with the Ministry of Defense and the Syrian army,” he said.
Civilians were reportedly among those killed and wounded in Sunday’s strikes, which came as the world awaited Iran’s expected military response to Israel’s assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July.
Israeli forces have carried out dozens of airstrikes in Syria—including one targeting Iran’s consulate in Damascus—since the Hamas-led October 7 attack, which prompted Israel’s large-scale assault on Gaza.
Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces continued to pummel the Palestinian enclave on Monday, bombing “al-Amoudi street in the Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.” The outlet noted that “at least 10 people have been killed today in attacks across the Gaza Strip.”
Original article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
Anti-racists outnumber far-right protesters in Glasgow
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/anti-racists-outnumber-far-right-protesters-in-glasgow
MORE than 5,000 people rallied in Glasgow’s George Square on Saturday in solidarity with the migrants and refugees increasingly targeted by the far right.
The demonstration came together to counter a call by racist grifter Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — known as Tommy Robinson — for an anti-immigration rabble to assemble in the city; Yaxley-Lennon was nowhere to be seen as his fans faced the humiliation of being outnumbered 15 to one.
To the west of the square, the rally organised by Stand Up to Racism (SUTR), backed by the STUC, and attended by thousands of trade unionists and community activists, heard from a host of speakers from trade unions as well as those with first-hand experience facing racism and building solidarity in their communities.
To the east, at the cenotaph, members of the fascist Patriotic Alternative did their best to rouse their mob, with renditions of Rule Britannia and barely audible hate-filled speeches alternating with the launching of abuse and bottles at anti-fascists.
Eventually escorted from the square by Police Scotland, some of their number went on to attack the nearby McChuills, a bar associated with refugee solidarity, resulting in two arrests.
But Police Scotland were criticised for “kettling” anti-fascist Celtic ultras the Green Brigade for several hours, preventing them from joining the SUTR rally.
One witness told the Star: “I don’t even support their club but this is a pointless provocation: the Green Brigade have done nothing to justify this, but they’re used to getting singled out.”
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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/anti-racists-outnumber-far-right-protesters-in-glasgow